Chapter 126: Come on, Duel Me! (Revision)

Seeing Shen Zexi and recalling how he had been left dirty‑faced at the enemy stronghold by Ying Duo, Qi Hengyu finally found a place to vent his nameless, pent‑up anger.

He took a deep breath, leapt out from his hiding spot, and shouted with a voice like a booming bell.

"Shen Zexi!"

The two combatants, startled simultaneously, froze their movements for a moment.

Shen Zexi saw Qi Hengyu, and surprise flashed in his eyes.

But when he noticed the other's slightly disheveled clothes and the still‑wet smoke residue on his face, he instantly understood—and even felt a bit of schadenfreude.

He and Qi Hengyu are roommates, so he knows the fellow's temperament well; this appearance surely means he was bested by Ying Duo and now comes to vent and save face.

Chen Mo Zhi felt a tightening in his chest, silently thinking things were bad; Qi Hengyu could have chosen a sneak attack, yet he brazenly leapt out, and even Meng Kexin hadn't had time to raise her hand to stop him.

However, what Qi Hengyu said next left everyone stunned.

He strode forward, carrying a mix of battle fervor and an indescribable righteous confidence, and called out loudly to Shen Zexi.

"Seeing you like this, the fight isn't satisfying! How about a fair duel?"

As he spoke, his gaze seemed momentarily distant, then he recalled something and became unusually resolute.

Chen Mo Zhi: "???"

He almost thought he misheard and instinctively wanted to interject.

A duel? In this situation they're clearly at an advantage—has Qi Hengyu's brain been blown up?

Shen Zexi raised an eyebrow, scanned Qi Hengyu up and down, his look as if asking, "Are you okay?"

He knew Qi Hengyu was a battle maniac, but hadn't expected him to propose a duel while they clearly held the upper hand.

But watching Qi Hengyu's battle spirit, still high despite his ragged look, Shen Zexi chuckled to himself, feeling the guy had truly been badly tripped up by Ying Duo and was now looking for a fight to get his footing back.

With the thought of "helping" his roommate and seizing the chance to recover some stamina, Shen Zexi nodded, the lightning at his fingertips dimming slightly, his tone tinged with mockery.

"Fine, let's duel; it's a good chance for me to stretch my muscles too."

He thought Qi Hengyu would immediately rush forward in excitement.

However, when Qi Hengyu heard the acceptance, his face not only lacked the expected ecstatic grin but instead displayed an overly radiant smile, with a hint of… smugness?

Qi Hengyu nodded forcefully and, in a deliberately mimicked, slightly stiff yet emphatic tone, shouted back.

"Alright! Then you duel the two of us!"

As he said so, he pointed a finger at himself, then at the bewildered Chen Mo Zhi beside him.

Shen Zexi: "......"

???

Chen Mo Zhi: "......"

!!!

Shen Zexi's mocking expression froze, his brain seemed to lag for a second, completely failing to grasp the bizarre logic.

He looked at Qi Hengyu, then at Chen Mo Zhi, who was equally shocked by this brazen move to the point his head felt hazy, and only one thought ran through his mind:

"What kind of rogue logic is this?! Qi Hengyu, when did you become so shameless?!"

Chen Mo Zhi's mouth twitched, his mind a mess.

He had assumed Qi Hengyu was a straightforward battle maniac, but didn't expect… that he could say such shameless words without a blush?

Qi Hengyu looked at Shen Zexi's stunned expression, and the suffocating feeling he had felt when Ying Duo had retorted with the same logic vanished, replaced by an indescribable exhilaration.

His mood was an unprecedented feeling of comfort.

Turns out using this illogical way to retort people is such a pleasure.

Qi Hengyu thought to himself that Ying Duo does have some merits after all.

He smiled, flexed his wrist, his surrounding aura flared again, and, facing the still‑dazed Shen Zexi, flashed a shameless grin.

"So, Shen Zexi, are you ready to duel us?"

——————————————

In dozens of screens, the ongoing battles across the assessment zone were displayed in real time; this is inside the Academy, so signal instability naturally doesn't occur.

The recent massive explosion at the defending stronghold, as well as Ying Duo's earlier bomb‑planting, weapon distribution, and Smoke Bomb usage, were all recorded and replayed clearly.

The Observation Room was silent; after a long moment, a cold voice finally rang out, breaking the hush.

"The precise calculation of blast points, the proper control of Explosives quantity, and this on‑site adaptability..."

The speaker was Gu Siyuan of the Manufacturing Department.

He was now staring intently at Ying Duo's figure on the screen, conjuring weapons and setting bombs, a rare hint of admiration appearing on his face.

"This is the combat style the Manufacturing Department can truly showcase."

"Utilizing every usable resource, maximizing equipment effectiveness to achieve strategic goals, rather than like others who only focus on crafting parts without knowing how to turn them into real combat power."

"The reason they provide so many materials is partly to hope they can apply what they've learned, instead of rigidly completing tasks."

Su Jingchuan, standing nearby, couldn't help but let out a light laugh.

He raised an eyebrow, looking at Gu Siyuan.

"Oh? I heard Ying Duo was kicked out of your class the first time he attended because of 'improper attitude.' Have you changed your view of him now?"

The ice on Gu Siyuan's face showed no sign of melting; he nudged his frameless glasses on his nose bridge, his gaze behind the lenses still fixed on Ying Duo, his tone calm.

"One rule for one rule; he disrespected my class, so I naturally had to kick him out. Manufacturing requires rigor, and the classroom needs order."

He paused, his eyes scanning Ying Duo's expressionless face as he blew up the stronghold on the screen, and continued.

"But geniuses always have quirks; I appreciate his creativity in real combat and his understanding of weapons—it's a talent that shouldn't be restrained..."

Gu Siyuan didn't finish the sentence, but the meaning was clear: he saw great potential in Ying Duo.

"However, if he shows up the same way next time, I will still ask him to leave my class; admiring ability doesn't mean I will tolerate his attitude."